Folding coop.



No. 67l,0|5. Patented Apr. 2,j|90|.

C. V. FITE roLoms con?.

(Applicstio'u med July 6, 1900 y 2 Smets-Sheet Vl.

(No Mn'det.)

MC1/# UW@ 1H: Nonms mns w, mow-nwo.. wAsnmcntm n. c.

Patented Apr. 2, l90l.

G. V. FITE.

FOLDING CDDP.

licntion led Jul 6, l

FFiCFt OEPI-IAS V. FITE, OF MOUN'l` HOLLY, NORTH CAROLINA.

FOLDING COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,015, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed July 6, 1900.

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, OEPHAS V. FITE, a citi` zen of the United States, residing at Mount Holly, in the county of Gaston and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Folding Coop, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in folding coops.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of folding coops, crates, and the like and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one capable ofV being compactly folded when it is not in use, so that it will occupy a minimum amount of space when stored or when reshipping it or returning it after use.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a folding crate constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coop, showing the parts folded. Fig. 5 is avertical sec tional View of one side of the coop, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 1. a transverse sectional View, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 4.

Likenumerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a bottom, preferably solid, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and provided at its upper face with marginal side and end bars 2 and 3, projecting above the surface of the bottom and forming an inclosed space which is adapted to receive a hinged side 4L when the parts are folded, as illustrated .in Figs. 4E and 6 of the accompanying drawings. The side 4 is hinged at its lower edge and is adapted to fold downward upon the bottom of the coop, while the opposite side 5 is hinged at its upper edge and is adapted to fold inward and upward against the top of the coop, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

The top o of the coop is supported by cor- Fig. 6 is' Serial No. 22,760. (No model.)

ner-posts 7 and S, which are hinged at their ends to permit the frame of the coop to collapse and swing downward to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. The sides 4 and 5 of the coop when in a vertical position fit between the cornerposts and the top and bottom of the coop and form braces for rigidly supporting the coop in position for use.

The corner-posts 7, which have squared lower ends, are hinged at their inner faces by strap-hinges 9 to the upper edges of the side bars 2 of the bottom, and they are adapted to fold downward upon the same. The upper ends of the corner-posts 7 are beveled or mitered, as shown at 10, to fit the beveled or mitered ends 11 of the side bars 12 of the top of the coop, and they are secured to the same by exterior strap-hinges 13, secured to the said posts 7, at the outer faces thereof. The cornenposts 8 are provided with beveled or mitered lower ends 14 to fit the adjacent beveled or mitered ends 15 of the side bars 2, and they are connected with the same by exterior hinges 16. The upper ends of the posts 8 are squared and abut against the lower edges of the side bars 12 of the top of the coop and are connected with the saine by hinges 17, arranged at the inner faces or edges of the posts 8. By this arrangement the posts 7 and 8 and the top of the coop are adapted to swing downward from the position illustrated in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 4.

The sides, which are oblong, fit within the collapsible frames formed bythe side bars of the top and bottom of the coop and the corner-posts, and each folding side is provided at its free edge with a resilient catch 1S, mounted on the exterior of the side and engaginga recess of the adjacent bar, whereby the side is securely locked in a vertical position. The side 5 is provided at its lower edge with the said catch 18, and the bottom bar 2 is provided at its upper edge with a recess 19 to receive the bend or engaging portion of the catch 18. The ends of the coop are formed bythe end posts, which are preferably braced by crossed rods extending diagonally of the ends of the coop; but these rods 2O may be omitted, if desired, and the sides, top, and ends of the coop are preferably provided with body portions of wire-gauze, as illustrated in IOO a suitable fastening device to the outer face of the adjacent bottoin bar 2, and it is provided at its other end with a recess 23, adapted to engage a bolt 24 of the top bar 12, and this bolt or threaded stem, which extends laterally from the bar 12, is provided with a thumb-nut 25, adapted to bind the brace 21 firmly in engagement with the bar l2,whereby` the said brace is firmly clamped in the position shown in Fig. l. This construction is also adapted for locking the coop in its folded position, and the bottom is provided with upwardly-extending arms 26, extending from the upper edges of the bars 2 and adapted to receive the threaded stems 0r bolts 24a when the coop is folded.

the clamping-nuts 25L firmly hold the parts in their folded position by binding the bracing-bars against the plates.

when not in use it is firmly held in operative position. It will also be apparent that the bracing mechanism for supporting the frame I of the coop in position for use also operates to fold the coop in its folded position.

Vhat I claim is` l. A device of the class described comprising a bottom provided with side bars, and

end bars, the side bars being beveled at one` 'lhese arms are formed by plates which are slotted or bifurcated, and

tively at the inner and outer faces of said posts, and the latter being reversely beveled, the post 7 having its beveled end at the top and the post 8 having its beveled end at the bottom at the beveled end of the adjacent side bar and the other ends of the posts being squared, the top having side bars hinged to the post and beveled to fit the upper ends of the posts 7, and the folding sides hinged respectively to the side bar of the bottom and to the opposite side bar of the top, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of the top, the bottom, the cornerposts hinged to the top and bottom, threaded stems projecting from the top and arranged in pairsand provided with nuts, the slotted arms extending from the bottom and adapted to receive the threaded stems and the pivoted braces adapt-ed to engage the threaded stems when the coop is folded and unfolded, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a bottom provided with side and end bars, the side bars being beveled at one end of the bottom, the corner-posts 7 and S hinged at their lower ends to the side bars of the bottom, the corner-posts 8 being beveled at their It will be seen that the coop or crate is eX- j ceedingly simple and inexpensive in con-l struction, that it is strong and durable, and that while it is adapted to be compactly folded'` lower ends to fit the beveled ends of the bottom bars and the posts 7 being beveled at their upper ends, the top having side bars hinged to the posts and beveled to fit the upper ends of the posts 7, the hinged sides arranged between the posts, and means tor securing the sides in such position, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OEPHAS V. FITE.

Witnesses:

W. F. HOLLAND, VIOLET HOLLAND. 

